Release Date: October 16, 1959; My Edition Released: November 28, 2006
Publisher: Viking; Republished by Penguin Classics
Where to Buy: Bookshop
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Plot
First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
My Thoughts
My initial experience with The Haunting of Hill House was the 1999 film The Haunting. My mom and I loved that movie and have watched it together dozens of times. I finally decided to read the book and I can truthfully say I loved it. It had been hyped up to me by a few reading podcasts, so I tried to go in with tempered expectations. I didn’t need to.
Of course the two mediums are different. The character of Luke is drastically different and Dr. Montague’s wife doesn’t exist in the movie. In fact, Mrs. Montague is the only thing I didn’t like about the book. I found her annoying and more of a caricature of psychics, but that may have been intentional on the author’s part. And, of course, we can’t love every character.
The book is creepy. It’s uncomfortable at times. Jackson’s writing is something to be admired and studied. Her scene descriptions pull the reader into the story. The characters are complicated, as they should be. Eleanor is as unreliable as they come, making it a habit to lie about herself. She’s lonely but has a way of pushing people away, thinking she’s better than everyone else. She’s drawn to the house. Because she’s vulnerable? Maybe.
I think I’m going to read it again because I liked it that much and I believe I will get even more enjoyment out of it. I also plan to read more by Jackson. I have read We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and will have a review for that in the future, though I may read it a second time first.
Rating
5/5
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Alicia Coast 